Quality of Locomotive: Intermountain and BLI

[holshot14]

Hello all, been lurking for a while just taking it all in. Long story short i was a MRR as a kid and just in the pre stages again. I just had a son who I want to get into MRR as he gets older. Did some searching with no real or newer information. I have two questions in terms of quality/likability. I am considering buying a BLI Paragon 2 AC6000 that are coming out in 2012 and also the Intermountain ES44DC. Both I prefer to buy with the decoder and sound already in. Just looking for personal opinions of the Units/Quality/Sound/Longevity.

Thanks for the help!!

Emory

 

[bigB]

Hello all, been lurking for a while just taking it all in. Long story short i was a MRR as a kid and just in the pre stages again. I just had a son who I want to get into MRR as he gets older. Did some searching with no real or newer information. I have two questions in terms of quality/likability. I am considering buying a BLI Paragon 2 AC6000 that are coming out in 2012 and also the Intermountain ES44DC. Both I prefer to buy with the decoder and sound already in. Just looking for personal opinions of the Units/Quality/Sound/Longevity.

Thanks for the help!!

Emory

I have both brands and types you mentioned. Both are excellent locomotives. Of the two, I give the edge to the Intermountain ES44AC (I will be getting the DC too). I think the Soundtraxx Tsuanmi sound in the IM engines is a bit better than the Paragon 2, but that's just my opinion. The both are quite heavy which translates into good pulling/traction power. Id give a slight edge to the BLI in this regard. The only problem Ive encountered are: the BLI AC6000 recently sucked up some metallic trash off the tracks and into the speaker housing (this is largely my fault for not keeping the track clean as possible but also it doesnt help that the speakers face downward toward the tracks by design) and now the sound makes a bad feedback/rattle that'll have to be fixed; one handrail on the back of my UP ES44AC was broken out of the box on the IM. The folks at IM answered the phone when I called (!!!) and they have me on the free backorder/shipment list for a replacement set.

Theyve both been great and Im highly impressed with both. You dont have to do any decoder sound installations on either. (with the older Blueline, which are a heck of a value IMHO, you just have to install a N scale decoder through the radiator fan which is extremely easy).

Hope this helps in your decision making. Essentially you cant go wrong with either.

Brad

 

[holshot14]

Hey, thanks alot for the good info!

 

[Selector]

The only headshaker from IM in the last few years has been their AC, or their Southern Pacific Cab Forward steamer. It is beautiful, but they got the drive-train all screwy. They didn't do themselves any good when they half-heartedly did almost nothing about their screw-up later, including not readily admitting to their error. Later, with a new run of the same engine, they did not really improve it.

BLI has their own problems of late with their last five or six issues of various locomotives having quality assurance issues. Again, top notch in terms of choices of materials and construction, but the execution when lifted out of the box and placed on powered track left some with deep furrows in their brows.

Note that these two are not alone. It seems the hobby is being short-changed by the manufacturers in China, and that goes for Athearn, Bachmann, and even MTH. If I had to guess, the average Chinese worker finds his skills worth a lot more these days, and factory jumping has become a national sport. The toy train manufacturers can't keep skilled and experienced workers long enough to get a decent run on pallets and into seacans. The result is we get iffy locomotive issues while the Chinese itinerant worker occupies him/herself with finding work that pays more.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I wouldn't rely on BLI meeting their schedule by any stretch of the imagination. A 2012 delivery will probably be delayed a couple times at least with a possible total cancelation more than likely. Don't send money in advance.

 

[holshot14]

Ok thanks for the heads up, how would one know when they are actually shipped and in stores?

 

[bigB]

Just check your Local Hobby Shop (LHS) or favorite retailer on line. Also, you can look on Ebay as they often show up there as soon as they are released.

 

[blackz28]

well i have the bli steamer i love it thats the only bli i have